Chapter 181: The Citadel of Phantoms

But that depended on whether they could even half-awaken their wolves the following night.

He suddenly felt a little tense, so he looked outside again.

Their caravan had already started moving, and now they were behind the Zenith convoy.

Through the carriage window, Moon could see the academy’s banners swaying above the procession, their silver insignias catching the light from the roadside lanterns.

Moon sighed.

They could clearly have passed the convoy and gone ahead, but the powerful still held their heads high. Moon wondered if they would be the last to arrive if another academy crossed their path.

"Which academy do you want to register for?" Levi asked Ugo.

The three brothers suddenly looked at Moon.

They hadn’t considered anything beyond awakening their wolves. This whole registration business was Moon dragging them along.

And they still weren’t sure if they could actually take the trial.

They certainly wanted to attend an academy.

But after being labeled defective and exiled to the Last Hole, they had suffered their fair share of humiliation.

The constant suppression in the defective quarter and the fights with low-level guards over every meal had left their mark.

They no longer had the arrogance to declare that they wanted to enter an academy.

A defective was always a defective.

They were born defective, and they would die defective.

In all of Monalis Celestia, not a single defective had ever been cured or awakened.

Their fate was sealed in some gutter hole, or they would spend their lives mining sikimon and fire stones.

The best outcome they could hope for was to earn a living quarter after working nonstop for sixty years.

Then, they could finally live the lives they wanted. Albeit by then, their will to live might no longer exist.

In this power-oriented world, there was no such thing as ’living as I want.’

Someone was always there to shatter your fragile peace, even if you hid deep inside a hole or a cave.

Under the full moon, some rogue wolves could still dig you out and devour your flesh.

So, as soon as they were abandoned as defectives, their will to live also died.

At least, they had tried to suppress them.

The only exception was the strange little man who had been fished out of the water out of nowhere and did such bizarre things that were hard to believe.

He had stirred up a defective wolf and become these defectives’ fated bond.

Axe, Ugo, Nox, and even Rio and Leo—all five of them—knew that Moon didn’t believe in fated mates. Or perhaps he simply didn’t understand the concept.

But they believed in it because they could feel it.

They believed Moon would eventually come to understand that there really were certain feelings built deep within the heart and soul that were almost impossible to break.

When Moon felt the three men’s heated gazes, he flinched. All three were staring at him as if waiting for him to be cooked so they could eat.

He shivered in his seat.

"What? What are you looking at?" he asked.

Nox suddenly leaned down and pulled a fur cloak from his bag.

The pristine white cloak had a thick fur mantle around its shoulders. He draped it over Moon’s shoulders and gently adjusted it to cover him.

"You should have said you were cold," he murmured.

"Huh? When did you buy this?" Moon asked.

He clutched the cloak, feeling its warmth settle around him. The soft fur brushed his cheeks, and a teasing smile crept onto his face as he looked at Nox.

"When I was in Malong City," Nox replied, shifting his gaze away in embarrassment.

"Ahem! Levi asked which academy we’re aiming for," Ugo reminded from the side.

"Let’s register first. I read about the process. Registration doesn’t require anything. They just enter your name and age so they can call you for the trial. So, we don’t have to think about that yet," Moon said.

But Levi chuckled.

"So naive! That’s what the rules say, but in reality, rules are fragile pieces of paper that anyone can tear apart. They don’t need anything, but they always make a mess with rogue wolves and those who don’t have a pack. They’ll certainly make things difficult if you can’t show a pack insignia or mark."

Moon didn’t falter.

He had expected as much. In his world, this kind of practice was even more common.

"I know, but rules exist for a reason. And you can always find a way to work within them." He twiddled his fingers beneath his chin, then smiled.

"Whatever. I’m here to gain knowledge. It’s not as if we have any hope or anything to lose."

What he said was true.

He had come here to try his luck.

His father always said during morning disciplinary sessions, ’Fortune favors the brave. A mage’s path is to embrace the unknown, revel in danger, and face it to conquer it.’

Moon had taken those words to heart. His father might not have been good, but he was still a good master.

Just then, Moon felt the air grow heavy, and the surrounding lights dimmed.

The carriage lamps flickered. Even the horses seemed to sense something, their ears flattening as the caravan slowed. The rustling of leaves suddenly stopped.

Darkness covered the area for a fraction of a moment, making everyone shudder with cold.

"The fuck! It must be the Citadel of Phantoms!"

The guards swore.

They didn’t greet them respectfully as they had the Zenith Academy convoy.

They didn’t need to.

Before anyone could even realize what had happened, the Citadel of Phantoms’ group had already disappeared, and the air returned to normal within seconds.

Someone even cursed in the darkness. "Damn, that gave me a scare!"

"Did you see them?"

"No, heck! My roasted meat is gone!"

"Oh no! Someone tell me, did you see any of them?"

A mercenary near the roadside turned around, patting his belt before checking his pouch.

"What are you checking? They don’t take your petty knife!" a middle-aged woman snickered. She smoothed her kirtle and settled back onto the couch on the cart.